Book Review: The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments

The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments || Nigel Palmer

Reviewed by Catie Payne

Reading Nigel Palmer is like putting on a pair of prescription glasses for the first time. Suddenly all this extraneous stuff -- weeds, debris and waste -- draws into focus, revealing free and abundant resources to boost the fertility of your garden or farm.

Inspired by Korean Natural Farming principles, Palmer is all about tapping into local waste streams to make mineral rich and biologically active drenches, foliar sprays and amendments. Think eggshells, fish bits, bones, weeds, leaf litter and everyday ingredients destined for landfill. Palmer’s recipes may be simple, but his approach is disruptive. Because not only does he empower the reader with no-cost alternatives to commercial fertilizers, cutting out all that importing, manufacturing and packaging, he challenges consumer culture itself.

Do we really need another ready-made thing? Or can we take matters into our own hands, intercepting waste and using it to create life? Closing the loop to become truly sustainable growers and humans? From culturing indigenous microorganisms (IMO) to fermenting fish in your living room, this soil health cookbook will become one of those well thumbed and grimy bibles that’s never far from your elbow.